Archive for October, 2010
Taste of a Mule Posted by sasha on Oct 31, 2010
For a delicious, cheap snack in Beijing, look no further than a donkey meat sandwich, or 驴肉火烧. Although it may seem like a strange choice, put your fears aside and just dig in. You’ll find that donkey meat is quite flavorful, especially in this Chinese version of a submarine sandwich (which tastes surprisingly like a…
Shi Du (十渡) Posted by sasha on Oct 29, 2010
When you live in a massive, crowded city like Beijing, you just have to get out of the hustle and bustle every once in a while. Thankfully, doing so is easy and convenient, thanks to the excellent public transportation system. Hopping on bus #917 for 2 hours will bring you 100 km southwest of Beijing…
Inflation and Interest Rates (通货膨胀跟利率) Posted by Stephen on Oct 21, 2010
If you’ve been following news out of China recently, issues of inflation or 通货膨胀 (tōng huò péng zhàng), have been making most major media network headlines. Just a few days ago, China’s Central Bank, in an surprise announcement, decided to raise interest rates or 利率 (lì lǜ) by .25 percentage points in an effort to…
History of the PRC – Part Three Posted by sasha on Oct 21, 2010
In case you’re just joining us, here are the links to the first two parts of our history about the People’s Republic of China, founded in 1949: Part One Part Two After the failed reign of the self-proclaimed Emperor Yuan Shikai and his subsequent death in 1916, China was basically in complete disarray. The policies…
Working on Tones with Tongue Twisters Posted by Stephen on Oct 18, 2010
Many non-native Chinese speakers find that proper pronunciation and use of tones are the most difficult aspects of learning the language and gaining fluency. This is because there are a plethora of sounds that don’t exist in both English and Chinese, meaning you have to train your tongue for the verbal somersaults. Whether it is making…
National Holiday Video (国庆节) Posted by sasha on Oct 18, 2010
Every year on October 1, China celebrates its National Holiday. This year marked the 61st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China by Mao Ze Dong and the Communist Party in 1949. I decided to join the throngs of Chinese tourists commemorating the holiday in and around Tiananmen Square by waving flags…
Everything But the Table, Chinese Beer (啤酒) Posted by Stephen on Oct 14, 2010
I am often asked “what is my favorite/least favorite part about China,” and usually respond to both questions with one word: beer or 啤酒 (pí jiǔ). This often brings a look of confusion to the questioner’s face, but it’s quite telling of “beer culture” in China. How can you both love and hate Chinese beer? It’s simple. You…